Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb says he doesn’t need to be completely healthy to be a force in the NFL.
McNabb took part in the first practice of Eagles training camp Saturday, more than eight months after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against Tennessee.
“I’d say it’s still about 75 percent,” McNabb said of his knee. “I haven’t tested it yet, but I can do everything I need to do in order to be successful. At 75 percent, I personally feel I can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.”
“I’m not in any hurry to push him into the first preseason game,” Coach Andy Reid said.
“You want to play a whole game, but in the preseason you’ve got to be smart,” McNabb said. “For the way that we practice out here competing against our defense, it prepares you for game situations. When you come off of injuries, you don’t want to rush things.”
Upper Deck has removed all Michael Vick autographed memorabilia from its online store and will remove the indicted quarterback’s trading card from NFL sets that are scheduled to be released in October. The announcement by the San Diego County company came a day after Nike suspended its lucrative contract with Vick and Reebok took the unprecedented step of stopping sales of his No. 7 jersey. Another trading card company, Donruss, announced it was pulling Vick’s likeness from any new packs.
New England Patriots top draft pick Brandon Meriweather looked comfortable covering Randy Moss during his first practice, though Coach Bill Belichick offered a typically subdued assessment.
“He has a long way to go,” Belichick said of the defensive back, whose signing was announced Saturday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The former University of Miami star was New England’s only unsigned draft choice.
During drills, he stayed with Moss, who caught two passes from Tom Brady on short sideline routes.
Speaking of Moss, the former disgruntled Raiders receiver has had a positive first impression on his teammates and fans at camp.
“He hasn’t gotten in trouble, has he?” New England safety Rodney Harrison said. “He’s a grown man. He’ll be fine. He’s a good guy and he works hard.”
Moss said: “As coach says, everybody has a position. I’m here to get open and catch the ball. I’m just trying to do what I can and contribute to the team.”
The Cincinnati Bengals signed first-round draft pick Leon Hall to a five-year deal and he reported to training camp in Georgetown, Ky., in time for the team’s second practice session of the day.
The Denver Broncos signed first-round draft pick Jarvis Moss and second-rounder Tim Crowder, meaning there will be no holdouts when camp begins today.
More transactions in Scoreboard 19C.
